Alisa Pittman Cleek   –    Partner
cleek@elarbeethompson.com
(404) 582-8446

Practice Areas
Labor & Employment Litigation
Labor Relations
Non-Competition/Non-Solicitation Litigation
Employer Counseling, Training & Litigation Prevention
Chemicals & Mining Operations
Hospitality & Service Industries
Alternative Dispute Resolution

Education
J.D., College of William & Mary, 1996
B.B.A. (Accounting), magna cum laude, University of Georgia, 1993

Admitted to Practice
Georgia
Colorado
District of Columbia
Texas
New York

Profile
Alisa focuses on defending employers in employment-related litigation and representing employers in traditional labor matters, including unfair labor practice proceedings, representation cases, arbitrations and collective bargaining. She also focuses on proactively counseling employers regarding day-to-day employment decisions in order to avoid litigation. She works with a variety of employers nationwide, including chemicals and mining operations, major restaurant chains, sales organizations, and retail operations.

Areas of Practice
Employment Litigation
Alisa focuses on defending companies in trials involving employment discrimination and harassment litigation. She successfully defended a company against a race discrimination claim involving direct evidence by receiving a jury verdict in favor of the company.

Labor Relations
Alisa has arbitrated numerous cases under various collective bargaining agreements involving the IBEW, United Steelworkers, and United Food and Commercial Workers.  Alisa also provides preventative advice to industrial relations departments of companies regarding navigating employment decisions under a collective bargaining agreement.

Non-Competition/Non-Solicitation Litigation
Alisa drafts restrictive covenants for employers related to employees in numerous states throughout the United States. She has also litigated both to enforce and to overturn restrictive covenants. Alisa has also been involved in drafting various other restrictive covenants, including non-recruitment agreements.

Chemicals, Metals & Mining Operations
Alisa is a member of the firm’s Chemicals & Mining Practice Group. She represents a variety of mining operations and chemical manufacturers/distributors in employment litigation and labor issues. She counsels Group clients on employment practices, labor relations, and other employment issues facing the industry.

Employer Counseling, Training and Litigation Prevention
Alisa is involved in providing advice to employers on a daily basis regarding employee counseling issues. She is also involved in drafting employment policies and training management employees regarding implementing and enforcing those policies.

Hospitality & Service Industries
Alisa currently chairs the firms Hospitality and Service Industries Group. The Group specializes in issues unique to the hospitality and service industry, including wage and hour, immigration, and harassment/discrimination litigation.

Arbitration and Mediation
Alisa is a registered arbitrator and mediator in Georgia. She also specializes in drafting binding arbitration agreements for employers and rolling out those agreements to the employees. She has also successfully enforced binding arbitration provisions in numerous states.

Professional Associations
American Bar Association (Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections)
State Bar of Georgia
Atlanta Bar Association (Labor & Employment and Women in the Profession - Board of Directors)
Society of Human Resources Management (Vice President of Conferences)
Atlanta Women’s Alliance (Board of Directors)
Georgia Association of Women Lawyers (Leadership Committee)
Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants
Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution (Registered Arbitrator & Mediator)

Community Activities
Atlanta Ronald McDonald Houses
Junior League of Atlanta
Buckhead Church - Leadership Team
Terry College of Business Alumni Board
Atlanta Women's Alliance Board

Awards & Honors
2001 National Fidelity Award- Most Outstanding Volunteer
2003 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award- University of Georgia Terry College of Business
Georgia Super Lawyers (2006 Top 50 Women Lawyers in Georgia)
Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Up & Comers: Under 40 & Rising"
Chambers USA Leading American Business Lawyer
AV-Rated, Martindale-Hubbell